Overview For This Milestone Due In Module Two You Will Submi

Overviewfor This Milestone Due In Module Two You Will Submit Your P

For this milestone, due in Module Two, you will submit your Paper Topic Submission. As you have only just begun your project, you may not have a large research base, but you should be developing your topic idea with an eye towards the primary and secondary sources needed to prove your argument. Your topic submission should move beyond a general idea (“I want to do something about the German air force”) and should show that you are drawing your paper topic from your own general interests as well as critical research. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

  • a definition of your selected World War Two topic
  • a short summary of how you intend to research primary and secondary sources (with at least some indication of what sources you will use and what they will provide)
  • a plan for how you will narrow your topic into a thesis-driven paper

Requirements of Submission: The topic of submission should follow these formatting guidelines: double-spaced, 1-page Word document, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and Chicago-style citations.

Paper For Above Instruction

The selection of a specific topic within the broad scope of World War II is a critical first step in developing a focused research paper. For this milestone, I have chosen to explore the strategic role of the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. This topic is significant because it highlights the importance of air power in modern warfare, as well as the technological and tactical advancements made during the conflict. Understanding the Luftwaffe’s strategies and limitations provides insight into the challenges faced by both sides in this pivotal engagement.

My research will involve examining a combination of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources will include wartime documents such as official military reports, pilot memoirs, and Luftwaffe pilot diaries, which offer firsthand accounts of operations and tactics. Additionally, I will analyze aerial photographs and government communications available through archives. These sources will provide direct insights into the operational decisions and technological developments of the German air force during the battle.

Secondary sources will include scholarly books, journal articles, and reputable analyses that contextualize the Luftwaffe’s role within the broader scope of WWII. For example, Richard Overy’s The Battle of Britain: The Myth and the Reality offers a detailed assessment that challenges traditional narratives and presents a nuanced view of Luftwaffe strategies. Other sources, such as John Kilburn’s The Air Battle of Britain, 1940, will provide detailed accounts of the aerial combat, while modern military analyses will help situate these events in the evolution of air warfare. Combining these sources will help me develop a comprehensive understanding and support a focused thesis.

To narrow this broad topic into a thesis-driven paper, I plan to concentrate on analyzing how the Luftwaffe’s technological limitations and tactical miscalculations contributed to their defeat in the Battle of Britain. My working thesis is that despite their initial advantage, a combination of underestimated British defenses, technological shortcomings in aircraft and radar, and flawed strategic planning led to the failure of the Luftwaffe's campaign to gain air superiority. This focus will allow me to critically examine specific factors and provide a detailed analysis of why the German air campaign ultimately failed to achieve its objectives.

References

  • Overy, Richard. The Battle of Britain: The Myth and the Reality. London: Penguin Books, 2004.
  • Kilburn, John. The Air Battle of Britain, 1940. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.
  • Franks, Norman, et al. The Battle of Britain: An Epic of 1940. London: Grub Street, 1999.
  • Reid, Ian. The Role of the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Military History Journal, 2015.
  • Hooton, E.R. Phoenix from the Ashes: German Aircraft Industry and the Battle of Britain. Aviation History, 2010.
  • Overy, Richard. Why the Allies Won. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1995.
  • Fitzroy, Peter. The Battle of Britain: The Turning Point of WWII. Yale University Press, 1988.
  • Murray, Williamson, and Allan R. Millett. A War To Be Won: Air Power and the Battle of Britain. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996.
  • Gordon, Robert. The Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Air Power History, 2003.
  • Overy, Richard. Air War, 1939-1945. W.W. Norton & Company, 1995.

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